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When we try to get AM radio in our house we just get a pulsing noise across all channels. I tried several portable radios and I encounter the same problem.
I turned off WiFi in the basement and pulsating is gone. I'm not a techie so I'm wondering if there is a simple solution.
puffkit
Posted 2014-06-03T15:34:18.313
Reputation: 21
3
If changing the channel the WiFi is using doesn't help, I'd replace the WiFi device because it shouldn't be interfering with the AM radio frequencies at all.
If it is, then it's busted, operating outside of specifications, and probably giving you leukemia (ok, probably not ;) ).
Ƭᴇcʜιᴇ007
Posted 2014-06-03T15:34:18.313
Reputation: 103 763
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The problem may well be the access point's power supply ("wall wart" or "power brick"). Almost all modern power supplies are switch-mode power supplies (SMPS) and if improperly designed or shielded these can create significant RF interference, starting with the low end of the spectrum, like the AM broadcast band. Try replacing the PSU with another of different make and model, but same voltage, equal or higher current (A or mA), and same output plug configuration.
Jamie Hanrahan
Posted 2014-06-03T15:34:18.313
Reputation: 19 777
Try changing the channel on which your WiFi is being broadcast. You can do this using the web administration page for your router. – Moses – 2014-06-03T15:46:00.367
2Switch your WiFi to a different freqency. You could switch to 5.0Ghz but there really is no reason 2.4Ghz would even cause a problem. I assume we are talking about
531–1,611 kHzMFAM radio, even if you move toHF, there is a huge frequency range between26.1 MHzand2.4Ghz– Ramhound – 2014-06-03T15:46:47.530Since we don't know what's in your basement, can you be more precise about what it meanbs to "turn off WiFi in the basement"? What device do you have and what specifically are you doing to it? – David Schwartz – 2014-06-03T16:38:48.717
How close is your nearest Wi-Fi device to your AM radio? Can you describe the rate and sound of the pulsing? If you hear a steady 10 clicks a second, you're hearing the beacons from your AP. – Spiff – 2014-06-03T17:00:18.390
by turning off i was unplugging the power from the wifi. the wifi is a floor below the am radio but within about 25 feet (if you could draw a straight line b/w them). it pulses about every 3 or 5 seconds..i will turn it on and listen again to describe it. – puffkit – 2014-06-03T17:11:54.460
The device in your basement is a Wi-Fi "router" or "access point" (AP), not "the Wi-Fi". Your smartphones and laptops and tablets and whatever else that connects wirelessly to your Wi-Fi AP are also Wi-Fi devices. Which Wi-Fi device (including laptops, phones, etc.) is closest to your AM radio, and how close is that? – Spiff – 2014-06-03T18:37:28.993